Kusal Perera’s explosive innings of 101 runs off just 46 balls, combined with his century partnership with captain Charith Asalanka, propelled Sri Lanka to victory in a thrilling high-scoring encounter during the final T20I at Saxton Oval in Nelson. Despite losing the series after two defeats, the Sri Lankan team posted a formidable total of 218 runs. New Zealand, in pursuit of their highest successful chase in T20 history, made a valiant effort led by aggressive innings from Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell but ultimately fell short by seven runs.
Kusal Perera and Charith Asalanka lead Sri Lanka to an enormous total
In a strategic shift, Mitchell Santner opted to have Sri Lanka bat first, maintaining his unchanged lineup. This decision may have been influenced by overnight rain in Nelson, which necessitated a half-hour delay before the match commenced. The game began slowly but quickly gained momentum in the third over when Pathum Nissanka struck Matt Henry for a four and a six, only to be dismissed shortly after when he top-edged a pull shot, caught by wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay near the boundary.
Perera entered the crease and faced a bouncer that struck his helmet on his first delivery. From that point onward, he dominated the bowling attack. At 49 for 2 after the PowerPlay, Sri Lanka required Perera and a struggling middle order to accelerate the scoring. He initiated this phase with two boundaries off Michael Bracewell, the second of which was somewhat fortunate due to a dropped catch. Bracewell then conceded another four and a six to Avishka Fernando, with the 25 runs he allowed in his two overs significantly shifting the momentum in favor of the visitors.
A strategic review by Santner curtailed Fernando’s innings at 17 runs, but this dismissal in the 10th over brought Perera together with captain Asalanka, who had urged his middle order to improve following two consecutive defeats. Responding to this call to action, Asalanka took the initiative, striking Zakary Foulkes for a six and a four in a 17-run over. Perera then launched a six over cow corner off Glenn Phillips, reaching his half-century in just 27 balls.
The left-handed duo continued to dominate the spin bowlers, with Santner’s 15th over yielding 22 runs as Asalanka hit two sixes, while Perera contributed with a couple of fours, despite surviving another dropped catch. The subsequent three overs saw Sri Lanka amass 53 runs, with Perera needing only 14 balls to progress from 50 to 100. He became the third Sri Lankan to achieve a T20I century, following in the footsteps of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, by hitting three sixes in an over bowled by Henry. Asalanka was dismissed for 46 runs off 24 balls but had significantly contributed to a partnership of 100 runs that was established in just 45 deliveries. Credit must be given to New Zealand, as Mitchell and Jacob Duffy bowled two effective overs at the end, conceding only six runs each in the final two overs, thereby restricting Sri Lanka to a total of 218.
New Zealand fail to chase the target set up by Sri Lanka
The hosts capitalized on their late momentum with a strong start to the chase, as Tim Robinson and Ravindra formed a partnership of 81 runs for the first wicket in a mere 7.2 overs. Robinson was particularly aggressive during the PowerPlay, amassing 36 runs at a strike rate nearing 200. Ravindra soon matched his pace, hitting Wanindu Hasaranga for two sixes before receiving a second chance later in the over when Bhanuka Rajapaksa failed to catch a sharp opportunity at backward point.
The middle overs against spin were anticipated to be crucial, especially considering Sri Lanka’s earlier success in the afternoon. Following Binura Fernando’s dismissal of the opening pair, Asalanka introduced himself into the attack during the ninth over against two left-handed batsmen, only to be hit for a six by Mark Chapman. However, the Sri Lankan captain quickly retaliated, as Chapman subsequently sent a catch to deep midwicket. Asalanka continued to find success in the next over, dismissing Glenn Phillips, who was caught at sweeper cover. In his third over, Asalanka further asserted Sri Lanka’s dominance by bowling out Ravindra for a well-made 69 off 39 balls.
Nevertheless, the match experienced further fluctuations. After conceding just 25 runs in his first three overs, Asalanka was hit for an equal number in his final over, as Mitchell capitalized on his lengths, striking four sixes down the ground. With the target now reduced to 51 runs from 30 balls, New Zealand appeared to be in a favorable position. However, Hasaranga turned the tide back in Sri Lanka’s favor, as his 16th over yielded only two runs and resulted in the dismissals of Hay and Bracewell. The hosts suffered a significant setback when Mitchell was caught out in the subsequent over bowled by Nuwan Thushara. Ultimately, New Zealand found themselves needing 22 runs off the final over, a target that proved to be overly ambitious.
SCORECARD: Sri Lanka 218/5 in 20 overs (Kusal Perera 101, Charith Asalanka 46; Daryl Mitchell 1-6) beat New Zealand 211/7 (Rachin Ravindra 69; Charith Asalanka 3-50, Wanindu Hasaranga 2-38) by 7 runs.
